I am from Bavaria, Germany, the place where a worldwide famous festival called “Oktoberfest” is held every year. But even though I lived only about 1 hour away from Munich, where the Oktoberfest has it’s traditional place, I have never managed to go there. Recently I found out that in Sendai a smaller version of the Oktoberfest is held every year – this year from September 17th to September 26th. It was only by coincidence that I found out about its existence, so I visited it. What I could find was a very fun and exciting place with lots of traditional music, happy people, beer and food. Food and drinks from both nations (Japan and Germany) were offered and everyone was able to enjoy lots of different tastes while enjoying the overall atmosphere.

I also like to introduce you to some different taste of my home country, so I decided to contribute an easy recipe for today’s blog. The dish is called Obazda（オバツダ）and usually eaten together with Pretzels. The meaning of the name translates into something like “mashed one” due to the procedure how it is made. There might be some things that are usually a bit difficult to get here in Japan, but Aizu has lots of great shops. The Pretzel for example can be bought at Furukawa Bakery next to the station.

Mash the Camembert with a fork and mix it with the Butter.
Cut the onion into small pieces and add it to the mix.
Season the cheese with Paprika, Salt and Pepper (mix) and spread some of the にら over everthing. Done.
The Obazda should have a brick-red color and is best with German-style Pretzels or dark bread and beer.